1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for operatively coupling electrical components to printed circuit boards, and more particularly relates to apparatus and methods for coupling electrical components to printed circuit boards using ribbon connectors.
2. Description of Related Art
One conventional method of operatively coupling an electrical component to a printed circuit board is to connect one end of a flexible ribbon connector to the component, and secure the opposite end of the ribbon connector to a an outwardly projecting side edge coupling tab portion of the board using a conventional insulation displacement type connector (IDC). A ribbon connector is basically an elongated strip of flexible insulation material in which a laterally spaced series of electrically conductive wires are embedded and longitudinally extend along the length of the insulation strip.
The IDC connector, as conventionally constructed, comprises an elongated rectangular base portion from a top side of which a spaced series of pronged metal connecting members upwardly project. An elongated rectangular clamping member is positioned above and parallel to the base portion and has an upwardly notched rear underside portion that receives an end portion of the connector ribbon. Opposite end portions of the clamping member may be snapped into and releasably locked in corresponding end openings in the base portion in a manner causing the pronged connector members to upwardly pierce the received portion of the connector ribbon insulation and conductively engage the embedded series of wires therein.
The front side of the IDC connector has a slot formed therein into which the circuit board coupling tab may be plugged. Plugging the coupling tab into the IDC connector socket in this manner electrically connects elongated "gold finger" strips formed on side surface portions of the tab to the embedded connector ribbon wires via the pronged connector members and associated conductive structure within the IDC connector socket.
While this conventional plug-in method of coupling a connector ribbon end portion to an edge section of a printed circuit board has been widely accepted and used in the past, it has associated therewith several well known problems, limitations and disadvantages. For example, it requires the use of the aforementioned "gold finger" surface connector strips which are relatively expensive to provide. Additionally, the socket receipt of the circuit board edge coupling tab (an otherwise usable portion of the overall circuit board) effectively dedicates the entire side surface area of the tab (top and bottom) to this single coupling task.
For example, even if the gold finger connector strips are disposed on only one side of the coupling tab, the necessity of plugging the tab into the IDC connector socket to effect the desired coupling of the connector ribbon to the board precludes the use of the opposite side of the tab to operatively mount additional electrical components, and related circuitry, on the board. As printed circuit boards become more complex, and the desirability of reducing their overall size continues to increase, this wastage of otherwise available board space becomes less and less desirable.
It can readily be seen from the foregoing that it would be advantageous to provide improved insulation displacement type connector apparatus, and associated methods, for operatively coupling a ribbon connector end portion to a printed circuit board in a manner eliminating or at least substantially reducing the above-mentioned problems, limitations and disadvantages commonly associated with conventional IDC connectors. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such improved apparatus and methods.